Method of Treating Food and Food Obtained by This Method

ABSTRACT

A method of treating food capable of easily softening or pulverizing food in a short time without losing nutrients is provided. A shock wave (SW) generated in a shock wave source is applied to food such as an apple or tea leaves to soften or pulverize the food. A large mechanical load is not necessary, so the food is easily softened or pulverized. Moreover, it is not necessary to heat the food, so the food is softened or pulverized in a short time without losing nutrients in the food due to heat during heating.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of treating food for softeningor pulverizing food including fruits or vegetables, and food obtained bythe method.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, various treating methods are performed on various kindsof food including fruits or vegetables. More specifically, (1) to softenthe texture of food, food such as vegetables is heated, (2) to extract aliquid component such as juice, food such as fruits is cut into pieces,(3) to make pickles, food is dehydrated through the use of the osmoticeffect of salt to allow seasonings to penetrate the food, and (4) tomake powdered green tea, tea leaves are ground into powder. In the casewhere a liquid component is extracted from very hard food such assugarcane, after the food is cut into pieces as described above, thepieces of food may be compressed with extremely high pressure.

As the method of treating food, various techniques have been alreadyproposed. More specifically, to easily impregnate food with a liquid ora gas in a short time, a technique of bringing the liquid or the gasinto contact with the food in a reduced pressure environment, or atechnique of bringing the liquid or the gas in contact with foodsubjected to decompression treatment is known (for example, refer toPatent Literature 1).

[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application PublicationNo. 2003-174850 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

To soften or pulverize food, it is necessary to easily soften orpulverize the food in as short time as possible with consideration givento the treating efficiency of the food. Moreover, in the case where thefood is softened or pulverized, if some of nutrients in the food arelost, there is no point to soften or pulverize the food.

However, in methods of treating food in related arts, a large mechanicalload (power) is necessary to cut, compress or grind food, so there is anissue that it is difficult to easily soften or pulverize food. Moreover,there is an issue that when food is heated or ground, the thermaldecomposition of some nutrients occurs due to heat during heating orfrictional heat generated during grinding, thereby the nutrients in thefood are lost, and it takes too long time to soften or pulverize thefood.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide amethod of treating food for easily softening or pulverizing food in ashort time without losing nutrients, and food obtained by the method.

A method of treating food according to a first aspect of the inventionincludes a step of: softening food including fruits and vegetables byapplying a shock wave with a pressure ranging from 1 MPa to 500 MPa bothinclusive to the food.

In the method of treating food according to the first aspect of theinvention, the food is softened by applying a shock wave with a pressureranging from 1 MPa to 500 MPa both inclusive to the food. Thereby, thefood can be softened without using a large mechanical load, so thisleads to an increase in ease of the treatment and time reduction.Moreover, heating is not performed, so loss of nutrients due to heat canbe prevented.

A method of treating food according to a second aspect of the inventionincludes a step of pulverizing food including grains, beans and tealeaves by applying a shock wave with a pressure ranging from 1 MPa to 1GPa both inclusive to the food.

In the method of treating food according to the second aspect of theinvention, the food is pulverized by applying a shock wave to the food.Thereby, the food can be pulverized without using a large mechanicalload, so this leads to an increase in ease of the treatment and timereduction. Moreover, the food can be pulverized without grinding thefood, so loss of nutrients in the food due to frictional heat generatedduring grinding can be prevented.

In addition, “food” means not only food typified by the above-describedfruits and vegetables, that is, food in a mode that people actually eat(a mode that people see in a kitchen or on a dining table) but also foodtypified by grains and crops, that is, food in a mode before peopleactually eat (a mode that producers or the like harvest).

Moreover, “a shock wave” is generated through the use of chemicalenergy, electrical energy, mechanical energy or the like, and as thechemical energy, for example, energy using, for example, explosion of anexplosive or the like is cited, and as the electrical energy, energyusing, for example, an electrical pulse or the like is cited, and as themechanical energy, energy generated by hitting a metallic ball into aliquid, or the like is cited.

In the method of treating food according to the first aspect of theinvention, the food may be softened while keeping the food in apredetermined shape, or examples of the food include an apple, apineapple, a wax gourd, a Japanese radish, ginger, a potato, a Chineseyam, a sweet potato, garlic, a tomato, a yuzu orange, a passion fruit, adragon fruit, a burdock, a bamboo shoot, a prune, sugarcane, sugar beetand the like.

In the method of treating food according to the second aspect of theinvention, examples of the food include tea leaves, azuki beans, coffeebeans, a walnut, rice with 5 grains, a shiitake mushroom and the like.

Moreover, in the method of treating food according to the first aspectof the invention, a shock wave may be applied to food in contact with aliquid, thereby while the food is softened, the liquid is allowed topenetrate the food.

Further, in the method of treating food according to the first aspect ofthe invention, after a shock wave is applied to the food to soften thefood, the food may be compressed, or a liquid may be injected into thefood.

First food of the invention is subjected to a shock wave, and issoftened. Moreover, the first food may be softened while keeping thefood in a predetermined shape. In addition, “a predetermined shape”means not only the case where the shape before applying a shock wave(the original shape) is kept as it is, but also the case where even ifthe shape is slightly deformed, the shape can be kept for a certainperiod. Moreover, “softening” means that compared to the state beforeapplying a shock wave, the hardness of the whole food or a part of thefood declines.

Second food of the invention is subjected to a pressure by a shock wave,wherein the proportion of air bubbles is increased, compared to the foodbefore being subjected to the pressure.

Third food of the invention includes cells with broken cell walls byapplying a pressure by a shock wave to the food.

In fourth food of the invention, the extraction ratio of a specificnutrient is increased by applying a pressure by a shock wave to thefood, compared to the food before applying the pressure.

In the method of treating food according to the invention, the food issoftened or pulverized by applying a shock wave to the food, so the foodcan be easily treated in a short time, and loss of nutrients in the fooddue to heat can be prevented. In other words, the food can be easilysoftened or pulverized in a short time without losing nutrients.

In the first food according to the invention, the food is softened byapplying a shock wave to the food, so squeezing capability can beimproved. Moreover, in the second food, air bubbles in the food areexpanded to increase the proportion of air bubbles, so permeability isimproved while the food is softened. Further, in the third or fourthfood, cell walls of cells are broken, so a specific nutrient in thecells is emitted from the cells, so nutrient extraction efficiency isimproved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration for briefly describing a method of treatingfood according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration for describing a specific mode of the methodof treating food according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for describing the flow of steps of the method oftreating food according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for describing the flow of steps of the method oftreating food according to a modification of the first embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is an illustration for describing another specific mode of themethod of treating food according to the first embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing the flow of steps of the method oftreating food shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for describing the flow of steps of a method oftreating food according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is photographs showing states of extracting juice from food ofExample 1 and food of Comparative Example 1.

FIG. 9 is photographs showing states in which a food coloring agentpenetrates food of Example 2 and food of Comparative Example 2.

FIG. 10 is micrographs of surface states of the food of Example 2 andthe food of Comparative Example 2.

FIG. 11 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 3-1.

FIG. 12 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 3-2.

FIG. 13 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 3-3.

FIG. 14 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 3-4.

FIG. 15 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 4-1.

FIG. 16 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 4-2.

FIG. 17 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 4-3.

FIG. 18 is a plot showing a relationship of hardness to pressure in foodof Example 4-4.

FIG. 19 is a plot showing changes in nutrients before and after a shockwave treatment in Example 5.

FIG. 20 is a photograph of an apple into which a straw is inserted afterapplying a shock wave.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments will be described in detail below referring to theaccompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

At first, referring to FIG. 1, a method of treating food according to afirst embodiment of the invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is anillustration for briefly describing the method of treating food.

The method of treating food according to the embodiment is used tosoften food. In the method of treating food, as shown in FIG. 1, after ashock wave source 2 is prepared together with food 1, a shock wave SW isgenerated from the shock wave source 2 in a transmission medium M to beapplied to the food 1, thereby the food 1 is softened.

The food 1 is an object to which the shock wave WS is applied from theshock wave source 2. The food 1 includes fruits or vegetables, and morespecifically the food 1 includes food of which the texture is generallyconsidered hard. The meaning of “hard” is, for example, the hardness offood typified by sugarcane, an apple or the like, that is, the propertyof resisting deformation in spite of the application of an externalforce which is generated in usual handling (that is, a property of beingcapable of keeping its given external shape), and is opposite to thesoftness of food typified by tofu, vegetable gelatin or the like, thatis, the property of being easily deformed by an external force which isgenerated in usual handling (that is, the property of being incapable ofkeeping its given external shape). Examples of the food 1 include fruitstypified by apples, pineapples, persimmons or the like, vegetablestypified by Japanese radishes, Japanese radish leaves, wax gourds,cucumbers or the like, and grains and crops typified by sweet potatoes,potatoes, sugarcane, ginger, garlic, tea leaves, spices, beans(including various kinds of beans), dried mushrooms or the like. Thefood 1 may include any other fruits, vegetables, grains and crops exceptfor the above-described series of food (such as apples, Japaneseradishes and sweet potatoes), or may include any other food (forexample, fishes or the like) except for the above-described fruits,vegetables, grains and crops.

The shock wave source 2 generates the shock wave SW to apply the shockwave SW to the food 1. Examples of the shock wave source 2 include anexplosive generating the shock wave SW by an explosion as a shock wavesource using chemical energy, an electrical pulse generating devicegenerating the shock wave SW by an electrical pulse as a shock wavesource using electrical energy, and a technique of generating the shockwave SW by hitting a metallic ball into a liquid as a technique usingmechanical energy. The shock wave source 2 may generate the shock waveSW through the use of any other energy except for the above-describedchemical, electrical or mechanical energy.

The transmission medium M is a medium transmitting the shock wave SW (ashock wave transmission medium), that is, a medium for transmittingpressure associated with the shock wave SW (a pressure transmissionmedium). The transmission medium M is, for example, a compressible fluidsuch as a gas or a liquid or an elastic body such as rubber.

The shock wave SW is a strong pressure-changeable wave propagatingthrough the transmission medium M at high speed (at a speed exceedingsonic speed), and has the property of momentarily and rapidly changing aphysical factor such as pressure, temperature and density. Pressureassociated with the shock wave SW, that is, pressure to be applied tothe food 1 through the use of the shock wave SW can be freely setdepending on the original hardness (before applying the shock wave SW)of the food 1 or the softening state of the food 1 (the softeningtendency of the food 1 when applying the shock wave SW), and morespecifically, the pressure falls within a range approximately from 1 MPato 500 MPa. The pressure associated with the shock wave SW is notnecessarily limited to a value in the above-described pressure range,and may be a value out of the pressure range.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the method of treating food shown inFIG. 1 will be described in detail below. FIG. 2 is an illustration fordescribing a specific mode of the method of treating food, and FIG. 3 isan illustration for describing the flow of steps of treating food shownin FIG. 2. The kinds of food 1 and the functions and kinds of the shockwave source 2 have been already described above, so they will not befurther described below.

To treat the food 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the followingsteps are performed. More specifically, at first, after a protectivemember 3 for protecting the food 1 is prepared together with the food 1,the food 1 is packaged in the protective member 3 (refer to FIG. 3; stepS101). In this case, as the food 1, a fruit such as an apple is used.Moreover, as the protective member 3, for example, plastic wrap, thatis, a thin transparent film for food wrapping made of a polymer materialsuch as polyethylene is used.

Next, to enhance an effect of protecting the food 1 packaged in theprotective member 3, pressure in the interior of the protective member 3is reduced by a vacuum packing apparatus to vacuum pack the food 1 inthe protective member 3 (refer to FIG. 3; step S102).

Next, after the shock wave source 2 is prepared, the food 1 and theshock wave source 2 are placed so as to apply the shock wave SWgenerated from the shock wave source 2 to the food 1. In this case, forexample, after a water tank 4 filled with a liquid (for example, waterW) as the transmission medium M is prepared, the food 1 packaged in theprotective member 3 is placed together with the shock wave source 2 inthe transmission medium M (the water W in the water tank 4) (refer toFIG. 3; step S103). In this case, as described above, the food 1 and theshock wave source 2 are separated from each other at a predetermineddistance where the shock wave SW generated from the shock wave source 2can be applied to the food 1. In this case, for example, as the shockwave source 2, a detonating fuse and an electric detonator are used asan explosive capable of generating the shock wave SW by explosion.

Finally, the shock wave SW is generated from the shock wave source 2(refer to FIG. 3; step S104), thereby the shock wave SW is applied tothe food 1 (refer to FIG. 3; step S105). In this case, for example, thedetonating fuse is initiated through the use of the electric detonator,thereby the shock wave SW is generated by the energy of explosion.Thereby, the shock wave SW generated from the shock wave source 2propagates through the water W as a medium, and the shock wave SW isapplied to the food 1 via the protective member 3, so the hardness ofthe food 1 is changed before and after applying the shock wave SW, thatis, the food 1 is softened. For example, the reason why the food 1 issoftened is assumed to be that air bubbles in cells or tissues in thefood 1 are compressed, and then expanded according to a rapid pressurechange associated with the shock wave SW, so cell membranes or cellwalls in the food 1 are damaged.

Necessary pressure (pressure associated with the shock wave SW) tosoften the food 1 is within a range from 1 MPa to 500 MPa bothinclusive, and in the case where an apple is used as the food 1, thepressure is preferably 12.6 MPa or over, and more preferably within arange from 12.6 MPa to 182 MPa both inclusive. Alternatively, in thecase where a pineapple is used as the food 1, the pressure is preferably12.6 MPa or over, and more preferably within a range from 12.6 MPa to102 MPa both inclusive. Moreover, in the case where a wax gourd is usedas the food 1, the pressure is preferably 20 MPa or over, and morepreferably within a range from 20 MPa to 184 MPa both inclusive. Inaddition, in the case of softening fruits and vegetables such as appleswhile keeping them in a predetermined shape, the pressure is preferablywithin a range from 37 MPa to 53 MPa both inclusive. The values of thepressure described above are only examples, and the value of thepressure is not limited to the above-described pressure ranges. Thus,the treating of the food 1 is completed.

After treating the food 1, if necessary, an additional treatment may beperformed on the treated food 1. In this case, for example, the treatedfood 1 (the food 1 which is cut into small pieces, if necessary) iscompressed (refer to FIG. 3; step S106). Thereby, for example, a liquidcomponent such as juice is extracted from the food 1.

Moreover, as the food 1, any other food except for the above-describedapple, pineapple and wax gourd may be used. For example, in the casewhere a dried mushroom is used as the food 1, the treated food 1 iscompressed to extract a liquid component such as an extract of themushroom from the food 1.

In the method of treating food according to the embodiment, the shockwave SW is applied to the food 1 to soften the food, so the food 1 canbe easily softened in a short time without losing nutrients because ofthe following reasons.

When the shock wave SW is applied to the food 1, as described above, asoftening phenomenon using a rapid pressure change associated with theshock wave SW occurs, so the food 1 is softened. In this case, unlike amethod of treating food in a related art in which food is cut orcompressed by a large mechanical load (power) to soften the food, thefood can be softened without using a large mechanical load, so the food1 can be easily softened.

Moreover, unlike a method of treating food in a related art in whichfood is heated to soften the food, the food 1 can be softened withoutheating, so the food 1 can be softened in a short time without losingnutrients in the food 1. In the case where the shock wave SW is appliedto the food 1, it is not that the food 1 is not heated at all, and asdescribed above, not only pressure but also temperature are rapidlychanged according to the shock wave SW, so the food 1 is considerablyheated. However, in this case, the food 1 is only instantaneously heatedaccording to the shock wave SW, that is, the food is not heated for aslong a period as nutrients are lost due to heat during heating;therefore, in the method of applying the shock wave SW, nutrients in thefood 1 are not lost.

Thus, in the embodiment, the food can be easily softened in a short timewithout losing nutrients.

In particular, in the embodiment, as described above, the food 1 is notheated for a long period, so the food 1 can be softened without losingits flavor as well as nutrients. The advantage of not losing its flavoris extremely important to soften the food 1 of which the flavor (such asscent) is important such as tea leaves or spices.

Moreover, in the embodiment, at the time of applying the sock wave SW tothe food 1, the food 1 is protected with the protective member 3, so thefood 1 can be prevented from getting wet with the transmission medium M(for example, a liquid such as the water W), or a foreign matter (forexample, a fragment of an explosive or the like) generated during thegeneration of the shock wave SW can be prevented from being attached tothe food 1, or the leakage of a liquid (for example, juice or the like)in the food 1 at the time of applying the shock wave SW can beprevented. Thus, as shown in FIG. 20, for example, in the case where ashock wave treatment is performed on a fruit such as an apple as thefood 1, when a straw is inserted into the apple keeping its originalshape, juice in the apple can be easily drunk without cutting orsqueezing the apple. In this case, the pressure of the shock wave ispreferably within a range from 37 MPa to 53 MPa both inclusive. It isbecause even if a flesh part of the apple is softened to a liquid state(to the extent that the flesh of the apple can be drunk with the straw),a peel part of the apple can keep an unbreakable state. Food in such aform can be used as treated food for elderly people.

Moreover, in the embodiment, in the case where after the shock wave SWis applied to the food 1 to soften the food 1, the food 1 is compressed,compared to the case where food (food cut into small pieces, ifnecessary) is compressed without softening the food (that is, foodhaving its original hardness is compressed without treating), necessarypressure to compress the food 1 is smaller, and the compressionefficiency of the food 1 is improved. Therefore, in the case where thefood 1 is compressed to extract a liquid component such as juice fromthe food 1, the liquid component such as juice can be easily andefficiently extracted from the food 1. Thereby, in the case where thefood 1 is compressed through the use of mechanical equipment forcompression, the running time of the mechanical equipment (the time oftreating the food 1) can be reduced, and the consumption of a fuel (anecessary fuel to treat the food 1) can be reduced, and the amount ofwaste generated at the time of compressing the food 1 (for example,remaining food 1 which is not compressed, or remaining juice thereof)can be reduced.

In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the food 1 and the shock wavesource 2 are placed in the water W as the transmission medium M, and theshock wave W generated from the shock wave source 2 propagates throughthe water W as a medium to be applied to the food 1; however, thetransmission medium M is not necessarily limited to the water W, and theshock wave SW may be applied to the food 1 in any other liquid exceptfor the water W as the transmission medium M, or the food 1 and theshock wave source 2 may be placed in a gas (for example, air) as thetransmission medium M, and the shock wave W generated from the shockwave source 2 may propagate through the gas as a medium to be applied tothe food 1. Even in this case, the same effects as those in theembodiment can be obtained.

Moreover, in the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, after the shock wave SWis applied to the food 1 to soften the food 1, the treated food 1 iscompressed as an additional treatment; however, the invention is notnecessarily limited to this, and, for example, as shown in FIG. 4corresponding to FIG. 3, a liquid may be injected into the treated food1 (for example, a Japanese radish or the like) (refer to FIG. 4; stepS206). Thereby, the food 1 is impregnated with the liquid. Examples ofthe liquid include a coloring agent for coloring the food 1, seasoningsfor penetrating (seasoning) the food 1 and the like. The details ofother steps (steps S201 to S205) shown in FIG. 4 are the same as thoseof the steps (step S101 to S105) described referring to FIG. 3 in theabove-described embodiment. In this case, compared to the case where aliquid is injected into food without applying a shock wave (that is, aliquid is injected into food having its original hardness), pressurenecessary to inject the liquid into the food 1 is smaller, and thepenetration efficiency of the liquid into the food 1 is improved.Therefore, in the case where the liquid is injected into the food 1, theliquid can easily and efficiently penetrate the food 1.

In addition, in the case shown in FIG. 4, to allow the liquid topenetrate the food 1, after the shock wave SW is applied to the food 1to soften the food 1, the liquid is injected into the food 1; however,the invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the liquid canpenetrate the food 1 through the use of any other steps. Morespecifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 corresponding to FIG. 2and FIG. 6 corresponding to FIG. 4, the same steps as those in FIG. 4are performed (refer to FIG. 6; S301 to S303), except that (1) a liquid(for example, a seasoning S) which is desired to penetrate the food 1 isused as the transmission medium M, (2) the food 1 is not packaged in theprotective member 3, and the food 1 which is not packaged is put intothe transmission medium M (the seasoning S) to come into contact withthe seasoning S, and (3) after the shock wave SW is applied to the food1, an additional treatment is not performed on the food 1, that is, theshock wave SW is applied to the food 1 while the food 1 comes in contactwith the liquid (the seasoning S) as the transmission medium M, therebythe liquid may be allowed to penetrate the food 1 while softening thefood 1. Also in this case, the food 1 is softened, and the liquidpenetrates the food 1. In this case, in particular, the softening of thefood 1 and the penetration of the seasoning S into the food 1 areperformed in one step, so the liquid can penetrate the food 1 extremelyeasily and efficiently. The transmission medium M in this case is notnecessarily limited to the seasoning S, and any other liquids except forthe seasoning S may be used. As an example, in the case where beans areused as the food 1, and water is used as the transmission medium M,water penetrate the beans, that is, beans absorb water.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described below.

FIG. 7 is an illustration for describing the flow of steps of a methodof treating food according to the embodiment. The method of treatingfood is used to pulverize food, and as shown in FIG. 1 in theabove-described first embodiment, after the shock wave source 2 isprepared together with the food 1, the shock wave SW is generated fromthe shock wave source 2 in the transmission medium M to be applied tothe food 1, thereby the food 1 is pulverized.

In the embodiment, when the food 1 is treated, for example, as shown inFIG. 7, the same steps (refer to FIG. 7; steps S401 to S405) as those(refer to FIG. 3; steps S101 to S105) described referring to FIG. 3 inthe first embodiment are performed to apply the shock wave SW to thefood 1, except that crops such as tea leaves are used as the food 1, anda shock wave with a pressure ranging from 1 MPa to 1 GPa both inclusiveis generated. Thereby, the food 1 is pulverized.

The case where the tea leaves are used as the food 1 is described above;however, any other food 1 except for tea leaves may be used. Examples of“any other food 1” include azuki beans, coffee beans, spices and thelike.

In the method of treating food in the embodiment, the shock wave SW isapplied to the food 1 to pulverize the food 1, so the food 1 is easilypulverized without using a large mechanical load. Moreover, the food 1can be pulverized without grinding the food 1, so loss of nutrients inthe food 1 due to frictional heat generated during grinding isprevented, and the food 1 can be pulverized in a short time. Therefore,the food 1 can be pulverized in a short time without losing nutrients.

In particular, in the embodiment, as described above, frictional heat isnot applied to the food 1, so the food 1 can be pulverized withoutlosing its flavor as well as nutrients. The advantage of not losing itsflavor is extremely important to pulverize the food 1 of which theflavor (such as scent) is important such as tea leaves or spices.

The steps, functions, effects and modifications of the method oftreating food according to the embodiment are the same as those in thefirst embodiment except for those described above.

EXAMPLES

Next, examples of the invention will be described below.

Example 1

Food was treated by the following steps through the use of the method oftreating food described in the above-described embodiment (refer toFIGS. 2 and 3). At first, as Example 1, after an apple was prepared asthe food, and plastic wrap made of polyethylene was prepared as aprotective member, the apple was packaged in the plastic wrap, and thenthe apple packaged in the plastic wrap was vacuum packed. In this case,the apple was cut into halves, and a half apple (165.23 g) was used.Next, to fix the apple as an object receiving the shock wave, a fixingmember made of metal was used to fix the apple packaged in the plasticwrap in a cage made of metal. Next, after a detonating fuse and anelectric detonator were prepared as a shock wave source, and a watertank filled with water as a transmission medium was prepared, the cagein which the apple packaged in the plastic wrap was fixed and the shockwave source were placed in the water tank (water). In this case, adistance between the apple and the detonating fuse was 27 cm. Next, thedetonating fuse was initiated through the use of the electric detonatorto generate the shock wave from the detonating fuse. Thereby, the shockwave propagated through water as a medium to be applied to the apple viathe plastic wrap. In this case, pressure associated with the shock wavewas 44 MPa. Finally, the apple to which the shock wave was applied waspressurized through the use of a button type weight to compress theapple. In this case, the load of the weight was 1947.7 g.

Example 2

Food was treated by the following steps through the use of the method oftreating food described as a modification (refer to FIGS. 2 and 4) ofthe above-described embodiment. At first, as Example 2, after a Japaneseradish was prepared as the food, the shock wave was applied to theJapanese radish by the same steps as those in Example 1. In this case,the Japanese radish was sliced into a plate shape (with a thickness of2.5 cm), and the plate-shaped Japanese radish was used, and pressureassociated with the shock wave was 50 MPa. Finally, after a foodcoloring agent was dissolved in water filled in a bottle made ofpolycarbonate, the Japanese radish was immersed in the water in whichthe food coloring agent was dissolved. In this case, the immersing timewas 3 hours. Moreover, as Example 2-2, soybeans were used as food, andthe food was treated as in the case of Example 2.

Comparative Example 1

An apple was prepared by the same steps as those in Example 1, exceptthat the shock wave was not applied to the apple. In this case, anotherhalf (171.20 g) of the apple cut into halves in Example 1 was used, andthe load of the weight was 1915.3 g.

Comparative Example 2

A Japanese radish was prepared by the same steps as those in Example 2,except that the shock wave was not applied.

When various properties of food obtained by performing theabove-described steps in Examples 1 and 2 and food obtained byperforming the steps of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were examined, thefollowing results were obtained.

At first, the states of the food of Example 1 and the food ofComparative Example 1 were examined. In this case, the appearance offood was observed, and the tactile impression of food was examined,thereby the hardness and texture of food were determined.

In the food of Comparative Example 1, as expected, the original hardnessof the apple was maintained, and the texture of the apple was notchanged. On the other hand, in the food of Example 1, the apple wassoftened, and the texture of the apple was changed. Therefore, it wasconfirmed that in the method of treating food in the invention, the foodcould be softened by applying the shock wave to the food.

Next, when the states of extracting juice by compressing the food ofExample 1 and the food of Comparative Example 1 were examined, resultsshown in FIG. 8 were obtained. FIG. 8 shows the states of extractingjuice from the food of Example 1 and the food of Comparative Example 1,and (A) shows the food of Comparative Example 1 and (B) shows the foodof Example 1.

It was obvious from the results shown in FIG. 8 that in the food (A) ofComparative Example 1, in spite of pressurizing the apple, juice was notextracted from the apple. On the other hand, in the food (B) of Example1, the apple was crushed by pressurizing the apple, so 112.81 g of juicewas extracted from the apple. It meant that in the food of ComparativeExample 1, the original hardness of the apple was maintained, so thejuice was not extracted only by pressurizing the apple with the load(1915.3 g) of the weight, but on the other hand, in the food of Example1, the apple was softened, so juice was extracted only by pressurizingthe apple with the load (1947.7 g) of the weight. Therefore, it wasconfirmed that in the method of treating food according to theinvention, the food could be softened to the extent that a liquidcomponent such as juice could be extracted from the food by pressurizingthe food with a smaller load.

Next, when the states of the food of Example 2 and the food ofComparative Example 2 were examined, results shown in FIG. 9 wereobtained. FIG. 9 shows the penetration states of a food coloring agentinto the food of Example 2 and the food of Comparative Example 2, and(A) shows the food of Comparative Example 2 and (B) shows the food ofExample 2. In this case, the appearance of food was observed todetermine the penetration state of the food coloring agent into food.

It was obvious from the results shown in FIG. 9 that in the food (A) ofComparative Example 2, only a portion close to the edge of the Japaneseradish was slightly colored with red, that is, the food coloring agentdid not sufficiently penetrate the Japanese radish. On the other hand,in the food (B) of Example 2, a broad area including not only a portionclose to the edge of the Japanese radish but also a portion inside theedge was colored with red, that is, the food coloring agent sufficientlypenetrated the Japanese radish. It meant that in the food of ComparativeExample 1, the original hardness of the Japanese radish was maintained,so it was difficult for the food coloring agent to penetrate theJapanese radish only for a set immersing time (3 hours), but on theother hand, in the food of Example 2, the Japanese radish was softened,so the food coloring agent easily penetrated the Japanese radish onlyfor a set immersing time (3 hours). In addition, when the food taken outof the bottle made of polycarbonate was observed while the food was leftunder atmospheric pressure, the state of the food of Comparative Example2 which was left standing was not changed, that is, while the food wasleft standing, the external shape of the food was maintained, but on theother hand, the state of the food of Example 2 which was left standingwas changed, more specifically, the Japanese radish was deformed underits own weight, thereby water was gradually leaked from the Japaneseradish. At that time, when the food was lightly pushed with a finger, inthe food of Comparative Example 2, the Japanese radish was not deformed,and the food coloring agent (the food coloring agent dissolved in water)was hardly leaked from the Japanese radish, but on the other hand, inthe food of Example 2, the Japanese radish was easily deformed withfingertip pressure like a sponge, and a large amount of the foodcoloring agent (the food coloring agent dissolved in water) was leakedfrom the Japanese radish. Moreover, in the soybeans of Example 2-2, thesoftening and the water injection property of the food were observed inthe same manner. Therefore, it was confirmed that in the method oftreating food according to the invention, the food could be softened ina shorter time to the extent that a liquid such as a food coloring agent(a food coloring agent dissolved in water) could be injected into thefood.

In particular, when the surface states of the food of Example 2 and thefood of Comparative Example 2 were examined, results shown in FIG. 10were obtained. FIG. 10 shows the surface states of the food of Example 2and the food of Comparative Example 2, and (A) shows the food ofComparative Example 2 and (B) shows the food of Example 2. In this case,the surface state of food was observed with a binocularstereomicroscope.

It was obvious from the results shown in FIG. 10 that in the food (A) ofComparative Example 2, air bubbles were not observed on the surface ofthe Japanese radish, but on the other hand, in the food (B) of Example2, a large number of air bubbles were observed on the surface of theJapanese radish. It meant that the air bubbles on the surface wasgenerated by the expansion of air bubbles in the Japanese radish underthe influence of the shock wave, so the expansion of air bubbles was afactor of softening the Japanese radish. Therefore, it was confirmedthat in the method of treating food according to the invention, when theshock wave was applied to the food, a large number of air bubbles weregenerated in the food, so the food was softened on the basis of thepresence of air bubbles.

Examples 3-1 to 3-4

Next, as Examples 3-1 to 3-4, the hardness of food in the case where thepressure of an applied shock wave was changed step by step was measuredby a durometer (according to ASTM D 2240). As the food, an apple, aflesh part of a pineapple, and a core part of a pineapple, a wax gourd(a skin-side part) were used in Examples 3-1, 3-2, 3-3 and 3-4,respectively. The method of generating and applying a shock wave wasperformed as in the case of Example 1. The pressure of the shock wavewas changed by adjusting a distance between the detonating fuse and thefood. The hardness after applying a shock wave under each pressure wasdetermined as a ratio (%) to the hardness before applying the shockwave, and the results are shown in Tables 1 to 4 and FIGS. 11 to 14.

TABLE 1 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFPRE 181.5 101.3 72 56.6 46.9 40.2 31.6 26.222.4 19.7 17.6 12.6 TREATING HARDNESS 8.86 18.92 23.51 21.32 32.43 29.5946.09 50.42 75.36 72.99 93.67 91.53 100 (%)

TABLE 2 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFPRE 101.3 56.6 40.2 31.6 26.2 22.4 12.6TREATING HARD- 39.93 53.17 60.33 77.16 75.78 92.20 94.56 100 NESS (%)

TABLE 3 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFPRE 101.3 56.6 40.2 31.6 26.2 22.4 12.6TREATING HARD- 88.74 98.59 98.46 99.46 94.48 98.74 95.87 100 NESS (%)

TABLE 4 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFPRE 184 120 55 27 22 20 TREATING HARD- 59.0876.67 86.88 89.13 88.58 92.17 100 NESS (%)

As shown in Table 1 and FIG. 11, it was found out that in the apple ofExample 3-1, as the pressure increased, the hardness was decreased, sosoftening proceeded. Thereby, for example, it was found out that, forexample, when desired hardness was 50% or less, the apple could beeasily softened by applying a shock wave with a pressure of 26 MPa orover, and when desired hardness was 30% or less, the apple could beeasily softened by applying a shock wave with a pressure of 40 MPa orover.

As shown in Table 2 and FIG. 12, it was found out that in the flesh partof the pineapple of Example 3-2, as the pressure increased, the hardnesstended to gradually decrease; however, the obtained result was not asremarkable as that in the apple. Moreover, as shown in Table 3 and FIG.13, it was found out that the core part of the pineapple of Example 3-3showed little tendency to be softened under a smaller pressure than 100MPa, so at least a pressure of 100 MPa or over was necessary.

As shown in Table 4 and FIG. 14, it was found out that in the wax gourdof Example 3-4, as the pressure increased, the hardness tended to gentlydecrease, and, for example, when a hardness of 60% or less was desired,a shock wave with a pressure of approximately 180 MPa or over wasnecessary.

It was shown from the results of Examples 3-1 to 3-4 that when thepressure of the shock wave was adjusted, the food could be softened tohave desired hardness, and specifically the apple had a pronouncedtendency to do so. Moreover, internal air bubbles (refer to FIG. 10)which were observed in the softened Japanese radish in Example 1 wereobserved in the food of Examples 3-1 to 3-4 in the same manner.

Examples 4-1 to 4-4

Next, as Examples 4-1 to 4-4, the food was pulverized by the applicationof a shock wave to analyze the particle size of the food before andafter treating. As the food, tea leaves, azuki beans, wheat and coffeebeans were used in Examples 4-1, 4-2, 4-3 and 4-4, respectively. Themethod of generating and applying a shock wave was performed as in thecase of Example 1. Alternatively, when the food was placed in the watertank, the food might be sealed in a polycarbonate bottle (apressure-proof bottle). Moreover, the pressure of the shock wave waschanged by adjusting a distance between the detonating fuse and thefood.

To analyze the particle size, after the shock wave treatment, sieveswith a hole diameter of 0.15 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.6 mm, 1.19 mm, 2.38 mm and4.76 mm were used to measure the particle size (mm) of each food afterthe shock wave treatment, and the weight (g) and the weight ratio (%) ofeach food in each particle size were determined. The results are shownin Tables 5 to 8 and FIGS. 15 to 18.

TABLE 5 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFORE PARTICLE TREAT- SIZE (mm) 184 100 50 12.65 MENT LARGER THAN 0 0 0.03 1.22 0.99 0.27 4.76 2.38 to 4.76 3.62 2.145.17 9.94 10.11 8.67 1.19 to 2.38 11.43 16.4 25.48 28.94 25.98 28.67 0.6to 1.19 22.77 27.31 25.36 20.68 12.52 16.08 0.3 to 0.6 18 16.41 9.323.83 3.41 1.58 0.15 to 0.3 10.9 7.23 2.31 0.4 0.32 0.14 SMALLER THAN1.87 0.89 0.22 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.15 TOTAL (g) 68.59 70.38 67.89 65.0553.36 55.43

TABLE 6 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFORE PARTICLE TREAT- SIZE (mm) 184 100 50 12.65 MENT LARGER THAN 78.76 69.22 73.8 71.68 69.3 126 4.76 2.38 to 4.7641.27 50.4 48.46 51.94 54.22 0 1.19 to 2.38 3 3.85 3.06 0.5 0 0 0.6 to1.19 1.52 1.65 0.92 0.05 0 0 0.3 to 0.6 0.61 0.63 0.32 0.03 0 0 0.15 to0.3 0.21 0.27 0.09 0.02 0 0 SMALLER THAN 0.08 0.11 0.05 0 0 0 0.15 TOTAL(g) 125.45 126.13 126.7 124.22 123.52 126

TABLE 7 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFORE PARTICLE TREAT- SIZE (mm) 184 100 12.6 5MENT LARGER THAN 0.8 2.155 0 0 0 4.76 2.38 to 4.76 86.01 84.515 124.03125.4 87.5 1.19 to 2.38 0.48 0.48 0.26 0.14 0.22 0.6 to 1.19 0.29 0.1750.04 0 0 0.3 to 0.6 0.07 0.095 0 0 0 0.15 to 0.3 0.035 0.025 0 0 0SMALLER THAN 0.01 0.015 0 0 0 0.15 TOTAL (g) 87.695 87.46 124.33 125.5487.72

TABLE 8 PRESSURE (MPa) BEFORE PARTICLE TREAT- SIZE (mm) 37 31.2 26.512.6 MENT LARGER THAN 12.03 28.78 51.2 37.67 73.87 4.76 2.38 to 4.7619.84 16.43 2.18 5.39 0 1.19 to 2.38 14.58 6.38 0.3 1.76 0 0.6 to 1.195.43 1.87 0.04 0.53 0 0.3 to 0.6 1.6 0.38 0 0.17 0 0.15 to 0.3 0.2 0.010 0.05 0 SMALLER THAN0.15 0 0 0 0.01 0 TOTAL (g) 53.68 53.85 53.72 45.5873.87

As shown in Table 5 and FIG. 15, it was found out that in the tea leavesof Example 4-1, in a state before the shock wave treatment, the tealeaves with a particle size of 1.19 to 2.38 made up 50% or over of thetotal; however, when the shock wave with pressure was applied, theparticle size was reduced, and as the pressure further increased, theweight of the tea leaves with a smaller particle size was graduallyincreased. Thereby, for example, when a shock wave with a pressure of 50MPa was applied, the food pulverized into particles with a particle sizeof approximately 0.15 to 0.3 could be obtained in 3.4% of the total.Alternatively, when a shock wave with a pressure of 184 MPa was applied,the food pulverized into particles with a particle size of 0.15 or lesscould be obtained in 2.73% of the total.

As shown in Table 6 and FIG. 16, it was found out that in azuki beans ofExample 4-2, in a state before the shock wave treatment, the particlesize was 4.76 or over; however, when a shock wave with a pressure of 5MPa was applied, approximately a half of the total azuki beans waspulverized into particles with a particle size of 2.38 to 4.76, andafter that, as the pressure increased, the particle size was slightlyreduced.

As shown in Table 7 and FIG. 17, in the wheat of Example 4-3, in a statebefore and after the shock wave treatment using a pressure ofapproximately 0 MPa to 184 MPa, there was no great difference inparticle size, so it was expected that a larger pressure was necessaryto pulverize wheat. However, it was confirmed that hulls were removedfrom the wheat.

As shown in Table 8 and FIG. 18, in the coffee beans of Example 4-4, ina state before the shock wave treatment, the particle size was 4.76 orover; however, when a shock wave with a pressure of 12.6 MPa wasapplied, approximately 20% of the total coffee beans were pulverized. Itwas found out that as the pressure increased, pulverization graduallyproceeded, and when a shock wave with a pressure of 31.2 MPa or over wasapplied, approximately a half of the total coffee beans were pulverized.Moreover, when coffee beans keeping its original shape were selectedfrom coffee beans to which the shock wave was applied to be put intowater, and the coffee beans were kept still for 1 hour, a change inwater color was observed. It was considered that it was because eventhough a large change was not observed on the surfaces of the coffeebeans, fine pulverization occurred in the coffee beans, soextractability was improved.

It was found out from the results of Examples 4-1 to 4-4 that when ashock wave was applied to the food, or when the pressure of the shockwave was adjusted, the food could be pulverized into particles with adesired particle size, and specifically tea leaves, azuki beans andcoffee beans were effectively pulverized.

Example 5

Next, as Example 5, the following experiment was performed to confirmwhether nutrients contained in food were changed before and after theshock wave treatment.

At first, as the food, an apple was used, and the shock wave treatmentwas performed by the same method as that in Example 1. After that, juicewas obtained from the treated apple, and nutrients in the juice weremeasured. At that time, the pressure of the shock wave was set to 50MPa, and the sugar content (%), acidity (%), pH, the total pectincontent (%), the water-soluble pectin content (%), the polyphenolcontent (mg %, reference material; catechin), the sodium content (mg %),the potassium content (mg %) and the calcium content (mg %) weremeasured.

On the other hand, as a sample before the shock wave treatment, juicewas extracted from an apple to which a shock wave was not applied, andnutrients were measured. The measurement results are shown in Table 9and FIG. 19. In FIG. 19, component values (%) after the treatmentrelative to component values before the treatment are shown in the casewhere each component value before the treatment was 100%.

TABLE 9 SUGAR WATER- CONTENT ACIDITY pH TOTAL SOLUBLE POLYPHENOL SODIUMPOTTASSIUM CALCIUM (%) (%) (%) PECTIN PECTIN (mg %) (mg %) (mg %) (mg %)BEFORE 12 0.22 4.01 0.014 0.004 15.5 12.4 83.6 2.7 SHOCK WAVE TREATMENTAFTER 12.1 0.25 4 0.047 0.009 75.2 8.7 109.8 2 SHOCK WAVE TREATMENT

As shown in Table 9 and FIG. 19, sodium and calcium were slightlyreduced after the shock wave treatment; however, a large change in thesugar content, the acidity and pH before and after the shock wavetreatment was not observed. On the other hand, the total pectin,water-soluble pectin, polyphenol and potassium were increased after thetreatment, compared to those before the treatment, and in particular,polyphenol was largely increased. It was assumed that it was becauseeach cell wall in the apple was damaged by the shock wave, therebypolyphenol was emitted from cells. Thus, it was found out that even ifthe shock wave treatment using a pressure was performed, nutrients inthe food were not particularly reduced. Moreover, it was found out thatin the case where juice was obtained from the apple, when the shock wavetreatment was used, in particular, extraction efficiency of nutrientssuch as polyphenol was improved, and it was shown that the shock wavetreatment was an effective means in terms of nutrients of food.

Examples 6-1 to 6-3

In the above-described Example 5, it was shown that in the case where anapple was used as the food, the polyphenol content in nutrients waslargely increased by the shock wave treatment, and as Examples 6-1 to6-3, the following experiment was performed to confirm whether such aneffect was dependent on the kind of apple.

At first, as samples of apples, a Sun Fuji apple, a Jonagold apple andan Ohrin apple were used in Examples 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3, respectively, andjuice was obtained from each apple before and after shock wave treatmentas in the case of Example 5. After 10 ml of the juice was dilatedtwo-fold with distilled water, hot water extraction was performed for 1hour at a temperature of 105° C., and the diluted juice was filtered. Atthat time, the weight of each apple before and after extracting juicewas measured, and the juice yield juice yield (%)=((the weight beforeextracting juice−the weight after extracting juice)/weight beforeextracting juice)×100) was determined. The results are shown in Table10.

TABLE 10 BEFORE SHOCK WAVE TREATMENT AFTER SHOCK WAVE TREATMENT WEIGHTWEIGHT WEIGHT WEIGHT BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER EXTRACTING EXTRACTINGJUICE EXTRACTING EXTRACTING JUICE JUICE YIELD JUICE JUICE JUICE (g) (g)(%) (g) (g) YIELD (%) EXAMPLE 6-1 134.98 81.05 39.95 149.79 47.53 68.27EXAMPLE 6-2 123.44 90.51 26.68 111.89 33.19 70.34 EXAMPLE 6-4 126.4379.6 37.04 137.74 33.66 75.56

Next, 10 ml of a 20% sodium carbonate solution, 50 ml of distilledwater, 5 ml of a phenol reagent were added to the formed juice diluent,and they were mixed well to form a mixture solution, and the mixturesolution was kept still for 15 hours. As the phenol reagent, a reagentincluding sodium tangstate dehydrate (Na₂WO₄·2H₂O), phosphomolybdic acid(H₃PO₄·12MoO₂), phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) and water (H₂O) was used. In amethod of using the reagent, through the use of the reducing power of aphenolic hydroxyl group in alkali, a blue color (wavelength; 725 to 760nm) generated by the reduction of molybdic acid was measured bycolorimetry, and the method was suitable for quantitative determinationof an extremely small amount of the whole polyphenol.

Next, a photograph of each mixture solution kept still for 15 hours wastaken, and a 1-cm image was cut out of the photograph, and the image wastreated. At that time, the resolution of the image was changed to 200pixels/cm, and four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black werepicked up by a color pick up tool, and the ratio was determined. Amongthe four colors, cyan was the indicator of the polyphenol content, sovariations in the ratio of cyan were measured.

As shown in Table 10, in each of the apples of Examples 6-1 to 6-3, thejuice amount obtained from the apple subjected to the shock wavetreatment was twice or more as large as that obtained from the apple notsubjected to the shock wave treatment. It was shown from the resultsthat when the shock wave treatment was performed, juice could beefficiently extracted from food.

Moreover, it was found out that in the Sun Fuji apple of Example 6-1 andthe Ohrin apple of Example 6-3, the ratio of cyan measured by imagetreating after the shock wave treatment was higher than that before theshock wave treatment, and the amount of polyphenol contained in thejuice was increased.

Examples 7-1 to 7-18

Next, whether or not to soften or pulverize food except for theabove-described food by the same steps as those in Example 1 wasdetermined. As the food, ginger in Example 7-1, a potato in Example 7-2,a Chinese yam in Example 7-3, a sweet potato in Example 7-4, garlic inExample 7-5, a tomato in Example 7-6, a yuzu orange in Example 7-7, apassion fruit in Example 7-8, a dragon fruit in Example 7-9, a shiitakemushroom in Example 7-10, soybeans in Example 7-11, barley for barleytea in Example 7-12, a burdock in Example 7-13, a bamboo shoot inExample 7-14, rice with 5 grains in Example 7-15, a prune in Example7-16, sugarcane in Example 7-17 and a walnut in Example 7-18 were used.At that time, the pressure of the shock wave was set to 37 MPa inExamples 7-1 to 7-12, and 120 MPa in Example 7-13 to 7-15, 180 MPa inExample 7-16 and 7-17 and 55.1 MPa, 68 MPa and 120 MPa in Example 7-18.

As a result, in Examples 7-1 to 7-9, 7-13, 7-14 and 7-16, the food wassoftened under each set pressure, and in Examples 7-10, 7-15 and 7-18,the food was pulverized under each set pressure. In soybeans in Example7-11, the water injection property together with softening was observed.In barley for barley tea in Example 7-12, extractability was observed asin the case of Example 4-3. In sugarcane in Example 7-17, squeezingcapability together with softening was observed.

Example 8

Next, the squeezing capability of sugar beet as the food in the casewhere the shock wave treatment was not performed, and the case where theshock wave treatment was performed by the same steps as those in Example1 was determined. More specifically, the liquid yield (a juice amount)obtained through the use of a hand juicer was measured. At that time,the pressure of the shock wave was set to 50 MPa and 120 MPa.

As a result, the yield was 0 g in the case where the shock wavetreatment was not performed. On the other hand, it was confirmed that inthe case where a shock wave with a pressure of 50 MPa was applied, theyield was 22.71 g, and when a shock wave with a pressure of 120 MPa wasapplied, the liquid yield was 31.20 g. Thereby, it was found out thatthe extraction efficiency of juice from sugar beet was improved by theshock wave treatment.

Although the present invention is described referring to the embodimentsand the examples, the invention is not limited to them, and can bevariously modified. For example, the steps of treating food described inthe above-described embodiments and the above-described examples can befreely changed, as long as food can be softened or pulverized byapplying a shock wave.

In particular, in the above-described embodiments and theabove-described examples, the case where a shock wave is applied to anapple, a Japanese radish, a pineapple, a wax gourd, tea leaves, azukibeans and coffee beans as food is described; however the invention isnot limited to the case.

Moreover, in the first embodiment and the above-described examples, thecase where the food is compressed, or a liquid is injected into the foodis described as an additional treatment; however, the additionaltreatment is not limited to the case, and as the additional treatment,any other treatment except for compressing food, or injecting a liquidinto food may be performed. Also in this case, the treating efficiencyof the additional treatment is improved according to the softening offood, so the same effects as those in the first embodiment and theabove-described examples can be obtained.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The method of treating food according to the invention can be applied tofood typified by fruits or vegetables.

1. A method of treating food comprising a step of: softening foodincluding fruits and vegetables by applying a shock wave with a pressureranging from larger than 5 MPa to 500 MPa to the food.
 2. The method oftreating food according to claim 1, wherein the food is softened whilekeeping the original shape of the food.
 3. The method of treating foodaccording to claim 1, wherein the food is an apple, a pineapple, a waxgourd, a Japanese radish, ginger, a potato, a Chinese yam, a sweetpotato, garlic, a tomato, a yuzu orange, a passion fruit, a dragonfruit, a burdock, a bamboo shoot, a prune, sugarcane or sugar beet. 4.The method of treating food according to claim 1, wherein a shock waveis applied to food in contact with a liquid, thereby while the food issoftened, the liquid is allowed to penetrate the food.
 5. The method oftreating food according to claim 1, wherein after a shock wave isapplied the food to soften the food, the food is compressed.
 6. Themethod of treating food according to claim 1, wherein after a shock waveis applied to the food to soften the food, a liquid is injected into thefood.
 7. A method of treating food comprising a step of: pulverizingfood including grains, beans and tea leaves by applying a shock wavewith a pressure ranging from 1 MPa to 1 GPa both inclusive to the food.8. The method of treating food according to claim 7, wherein the food istea leaves, azuki beans, coffee beans, a walnut, rice with 5 grains or ashiitake mushroom.
 9. Food including vegetables and fruits beingsubjected to a pressure ranging from larger than 5 MPa to 500 MPa by ashock wave, and being softened, compared to the food before beingsubjected to the pressure.
 10. The food according to claim 9, whereinthe food keeps its original shape.
 11. Food including vegetables andfruits being subjected to a pressure ranging from larger than 5 MPa to500 MPa by a shock wave, wherein the proportion of air bubbles isincreased, compared to the food before being subjected to the pressure.12. Food including vegetables and fruits being subjected to a pressureranging from larger than 5 MPa to 500 MPa by a shock wave, wherein thefood includes cells with broken cell walls.
 13. Food includingvegetables and fruits being subjected to a pressure ranging from largerthan 5 MPa to 500 MPa by a shock wave, wherein the extraction ratio of aspecific nutrient is increased, compared to the food before beingsubjected to the pressure.
 14. The method of treating food according toclaim 2, wherein the food is an apple, a pineapple, a wax gourd, aJapanese radish, ginger, a potato, a Chinese yam, a sweet potato,garlic, a tomato, a yuzu orange, a passion fruit, a dragon fruit, aburdock, a bamboo shoot, a prune, sugarcane or sugar beet.